This invention relates to illumination and ventilation systems in general and more particularly to a gravity and wind-pressure actuated illumination and ventilation system for buildings and other enclosures.
Various systems have been proposed for providing ventilation and/or illumination for the interiors of buildings and other enclosures, through the use of louvered units. Representative examples are shown in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,255; 18,100; 90,180; 101,313; 121,633; 141,541; 614,368; 638,503; 757,465; 779,653; 1,672,291; and 3,521,546.
A number of the ventilation systems disclosed in these prior art patents utilize an interlocking arrangement between the ventilating units on opposite sides of a building or enclosure. For example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,255; 18,100; 101,313; 121,633; 14,541; 614,368 and 757,465.
Some of the above mentioned prior art patents have the adjacent blades of a single closure unit interlocked, examples being U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,255; 90,180; and 779,653.
Other ventilating designs shown in the above mentioned prior art patents employ interlocked louvers in a single closure unit examples being U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,255; 90,180; and 779,653.
The interlocking arrangements in the above mentioned patents are unduly complicated, sources of unnecessary friction and relatively expensive to implement.
Some of the above mentioned prior art patents have only one blade per closure unit and even one closure unit per side of enclosure, examples being U.S. Pat. Nos. 101,313; 121,633; 141,541; 638,503; 757,465; and 779,653.
One of the above mentioned prior art patents, U.S. Pat. No. 1,672,291 while not having interlocked adjacent or opposite-side blades, needs stops to prevent each blade from opening past a desired point, needs counter weights to keep each blade in an open position, uses angled fixed louvers for providing rain protection. Furthermore, this patent can not work as anticipated, for when the blades are in an open position, the pressure on each side of each windward blade will be the same because there will be an equal amount of air flowing at the same speed on each side of each windward blade in a direction which is parallel to the blades in their "open" position. That is, the so-called automatically movable blades of this design will have no motivating closure force.
Another of the above mentioned prior art patents, U.S. Pat. No. 638,503, besides having only one blade and one closure unit per side, is incapable of having its leeward and nonwindward openings increased as a result of outward pressures on the leeward and nonwindward sides.
Another of the above mentioned prior art patents, U.S. Pat. No. 3,521,546, while having a plurality of independent blades per side, is primarily intended as a pressure equalizing system. The alternative of this prior art patent which can be used for ventilation (FIG. 2) can not be closed, and rain and snow will enter the windward side when strong winds exist.
It is accordingly a general object of this invention to provide a relatively frictionless, simple, and inexpensive, automatically operated ventilation and illumination systems for buildings and other enclosures.
It is a specific object of this invention to provide an illumination and ventilation system which is automatically responsive to the extent of needs for closing and opening closure units to suit almost all types of climatic requirements and building or enclosure uses.
It is a specific object of this invention to provide closure units for buildings and enclosure which: will have their leeward and nonwindward openings increased when rain and other particles do not tend to enter such closure units, and which will have their windward openings decreased and even closed when rain or other particles tend to enter the windward closure units.
It is therefore a specific object of this invention that it can be used for the automatic and inexpensive control of large areas of high-level openings which need protection from rain, snow, dust or hail.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide an illumination and ventilation system which is automatically actuated by gravitational forces and wind pressures to suit the very different needs of buildings or enclosures.
It is a specific object of this invention to provide a very inexpensive capital-cost means of economically and automatically controlling the opening and closing of large areas of closure units.
It is a feature of this invention that the illumination and ventilation system can be adjusted to accommodate various wind velocities so that the closure units of the ventilation system will respond to any required predetermined wind velocity.